Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-12-08
THE KISS OF DEATH.
q strange Superstition Prevailing AmO7s
Monterey Mexicans.

: a Strange Superstition Prevailing Amor
II Monterey Mexicans.
= The Santa Cruz ghost. which is ca
: crossing the attention of the citizen
= OF that famous watering-place by il
midnight revelries. recalls legend q
: San Juan. in the adjoining county
: told the writer many years ago by
:. narrator no less credible than a 900,
= Old Spanish priest, with whom Tn
writer happened to be staying on
few days visit.
One morning after breakfast ex
pressed wish to stroll into the
ancient graveyard attached 10 the old
adobe church of that quaint l!ttle
Mexican town. The old padre, with
! the kindness and courtesy character
'stic OF the simple missionary fathers.
at once acceded and accompanied the
writer. relating as we walked among
the graves the brief history of some
who lay quietly beneath. Here" he
observed. with a quiet smile. az he
pointed to a grave in the middle of the
cemetery. there is grave which the
simple old Mexican families a.o md
here look upon with unusual interest,
it not with actual awe"
"a murder?"
mo. no! Something much stranger.
I have tried to combat the idea. and
while would be addressing the peo-
pie they would say: Isl. ST Padre
They would assent to all l said, but
the belief remained and does remain
indelible.
"a spirit he began. us said to
have appeared to every one buried in
that grave, and to warn the family
whenever any of them is about to pass
away.
''lts appearance. which is generally
made in the following manner, is be-
heved to be uniformly fatal. being an
omen of death to those who are so I'M
happy rs to meet with it:
''When q funeral takes Mace the
spirit is said to watch the person who
remains last in the graveyard, over
whom it possesses a fascinating in
tluence.
IF the person be young man the |
spirit takes the shape of fascinating |
female. inspires him with Il charmed
passion. and eX:cts Il promise that he !
will meet her at the graveyard month
from that day. This promise is sealed
with kiss, that communicates a
deadly faint to him who complies.
1.-The spirit then disappears. No
'ooner docs the person from whom il
received the promise and the kiss pass
he boundary of the .church-yard than
lie remembers the history of the
'pecter He sinks into despair and in
anity. and dies Ii. on the contrary.
he spectcr appears to- female. it G
'ssumes the form of young man Of a
elegance and beauty" It
The padre showed me the grave Of a j
Dung person about eighteen years of p
&c. who was SAID four months before n
D have fallen victim to- it. ..Ten
lonths ago." the father said. e, man
ave the promise and the fatal Kiss.
nd consequently looked upon HIM y
IF a. lost He took a fever and died.
nd was buried on the day appointed
r tho meeting. which was exactly u 81
"nth after the fatal interview. ri
incredible rs it may appear, the III
lends OF these two persons solemnlv pc
cleared to me that the particulars of III
% interview were repeatedly detailed eli
the two pc sons without the slight be
t variation. ca
''1here are several cases of the same d.
nd mentioned. but the two eases on
luded to are the only ones that came rel
thin my personal knowledge. MI
''lt appears. however, that the VIC
ecter does aot confine its operations bit
the graveyard only. There have ev'
en- instances mentioned of its an so,
arance at weddings and social par inc
8. where it never failed to secure its no
lims by dancing them into pIeuritic Oft
ers." loo
IN being questioned rs to what he ret
yht think of such possible occur req
ices. the good father simply smiled the
shook his head.-San Fraucisco wei
-0nicle. ms